Overview

• Under the plea agreement that waived capital punishment, Kohberger pleaded guilty on July 2 and received a mandatory life without parole term on July 23.
• Judge Steven Hippler denounced Kohberger as a notoriety-seeking coward and urged that the case not be adapted into books or documentaries.
• Families of Kaylee Goncalves and the other victims condemned the deal and have pushed for enforcement of Idaho’s firing squad statute.
• Investigators linked Kohberger to the November 2022 killings through his DNA on a knife sheath and surveillance footage of a similar vehicle in the victims’ neighborhood.
• Kohberger’s motive remains unknown as Moscow, Idaho, continues to grapple with the community trauma and unresolved questions from the slayings.